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Jerusalem - Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu apologised to Israel's Arab citizens on Monday for remarks he made
during last week's parliament election that offended members of the community.

The move appeared to be an attempt to heal
rifts and mute criticism at home and in the United States. Netanyahu drew
accusations of racism in Israel, especially from its Arab minority, and a White
House rebuke when, just a few hours before polling stations were to close
across the country, he warned that Arab citizens were voting “in droves”.

But President Barack Obama's chief of
staff, Denis McDonough, rejected Netanyahu's attempt to distance himself from
his comments, telling an Israel advocacy group Monday that the US can't just
overlook what Netanyahu said on the eve of his re-election.

Netanyahu, whose Likud Party won
re-election in the vote, met with members of the Arab community at the prime
minister's residence in Jerusalem on Monday and apologised.

He said he knows his "comments last
week offended some Israeli citizens and offended members of the Israeli-Arab
community."

‘Not my intent’

"This was never my intent. I apologise
for this," Netanyahu said. "I view myself as the prime minister of
each and every citizen of Israel, without any prejudice based on religion,
ethnicity or gender."

"I view all Israeli citizens as
partners in the building of a prosperous and safe state of Israel, for all
Israelis," he also said.

A recently established alliance of four
small, mostly Arab parties called the Joint List made unprecedented gains in
the 17 March election, earning enough votes to make it the third-largest party
in Israel's parliament. Arab citizens make up 20% of Israel's population.
Equality is guaranteed in Israel's laws but many Arabs have long complained of
discrimination, mainly in the job and housing market.

Ayman Odeh, the head of the Joint List,
told channel 2 TV that Netanyahu's apology was not accepted.

"This is not a real apology,"
Odeh said. "He incited against citizens who were exercising their basic
right to vote for Knesset."

‘Zigzagging’

Odeh also accused Netanyahu of
"zigzagging" by saying one thing one day and a different another.

In the final days of the campaign,
Netanyahu angered the US by taking a tough stance toward the Palestinians and
by saying a Palestinian state will not be established on his watch in the
current climate of regional chaos and violence. Resolving the conflict between
Israel and the Palestinians in a two state solution is a key US foreign policy
priority.

In his speech to J Street, an Israel
advocacy group that is sharply critical of Netanyahu, McDonough warned Israel
against annexing the West Bank, where Palestinians hope to establish their
future state. He said Netanyahu's prediction that a Palestinian state wouldn't
come about on his watch was "very troubling" and questioned
Netanyahu's broader commitment to the two-state solution the US and Israel have
officially supported for years.

"We cannot simply pretend that these
comments were never made," McDonough said.

Obama's decision to dispatch his chief of
staff to speak to J Street was seen as another sign that Obama intends to take
a tougher tack toward Netanyahu.

US policy

Israelis and Palestinians are closely
watching to see how US policy will change in practical terms after Netanyahu's
success in the elections. Obama has said the US must re-evaluate its approach
to pursuing Mideast peace because of Netanyahu's comments, and has entertained
speculation the US will be less willing to come to Israel's defence in the
United Nations. The US has voted against UN resolutions supporting the
establishment of a Palestinian state, insisting the matter should be negotiated
directly with Israel.

Netanyahu's tough talk was part of a
last-ditch attempt to spur his more hard-line supporters to the polls after it
appeared he was losing voters to a more hawkish party.

Netanyahu defended his election-day remarks
in the days after the vote. He told NBC last Thursday that he remains committed
to Palestinian statehood - if conditions in the region improve - and to the
two-state vision first spelled out in a landmark 2009 speech at Israel's Bar
Ilan University. "I haven't changed my policy," he said. "I
never retracted my speech."

He told NBC that his government has spent
billions in Arab towns to upgrade infrastructure, schools and narrow gaps.

Earlier on Monday, Netanyahu secured a
majority of backers in the new parliament and will later be tasked with forming
the next government.

Israel's ceremonial president, Reuven
Rivlin, has been meeting with the parties in parliament to hear their
recommendations before appointing who will form the next coalition government.
Kulanu, a new centrist party gave its nod to Netanyahu on Monday, giving him 61
backers out of the 120 in parliament.

Netanyahu appears poised to set up a
coalition with hawkish, centrist and religious parties.

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